He was a talented junior with tremendous size and strength, a blue chip prospect, one to watch out for, for sure. But he suffered two debilitating knee injuries as a teenager, once playing hockey, once playing baseball. Serious surgery was required.

Carleton broke his elbow in 1969 followed quickly by a viral infection that sent him to the hospital. He broke his wrist twice and his leg once, but for the first five years of his career his greatest obstacle was Toronto coach Punch Imlach, who sent Swoop up and down to the farm with the same windswept ease that Carleton skated when given the chance.

He was traded to Boston midway through the 1969-70 season, was on the bench when Orr flew through the air and won the Stanley Cup, and was just as quickly dispatched to California in the summer of 1971, the greatest dive of all. He showed up to camp weighing 245 pounds, unhappy and unfit. But Swoop moved on to the WHA where he made an impact as a scorer and signed a huge five-year contract.

After being traded from Hartford to Edmonton during his WHA days, he claimed Edmonton owed him $2,300 for moving expenses. A judge agreed, and ordered the Oilers equipment confiscated just hours before a game. He got his money. After retiring, he turned to his farm in Stayner called Springwater Stables. Some of his horses were named Frosty's Bretta, Sly Hal, Minto Don, and Won To Victory. He later worked as a financial planner for an investment syndicate in Kitchener.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1961-62

Unionville Seaforths

OHA-Jr.

15

9

3

12

1961-62

Toronto Marlboros

OHA-Jr.

16

5

8

13

5

12

2

4

6

4

1962-63

Toronto Marlboros

OHA-Jr.

38

27

24

51

11

11

6

4

10

21

1963-64

Toronto Marlboros

OHA-Jr.

54

42

22

64

26

5

3

2

5

0

1963-64

Toronto Marlboros

M-Cup

12

10

15

25

6

1964-65

Toronto Marlboros

OHA-Jr.

15

13

10

23

12

14

5

6

11

17

1965-66

Toronto Marlboros

OHA-Jr.

16

9

5

14

24

14

9

6

15

28

1965-66

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

2

0

1

1

0

1965-66

Tulsa Oilers

CPHL

6

3

4

7

0

1966-67

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

5

1

0

1

14

1966-67

Tulsa Oilers

CPHL

52

17

15

32

48

1966-67

Rochester Americans

AHL

13

5

5

10

8

13

5

2

7

31

1967-68

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

65

8

11

19

34

+5

1968-69

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

12

1

3

4

6

-8

1968-69

Rochester Americans

AHL

13

5

3

8

0

1968-69

Phoenix Roadrunners

WHL

32

16

13

29

18

1969-70

Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL

7

0

1

1

6

+1

1969-70

Phoenix Roadrunners

WHL

6

1

3

4

0

1969-70

Boston Bruins

NHL

42

6

19

25

23

+6

14

2

4

6

14

1970-71

Boston Bruins

NHL

69

22

24

46

44

+35

4

0

0

0

0

1971-72

California Golden Seals

NHL

76

17

14

31

45

-23

1972-73

Ottawa Nationals

WHA

75

42

49

91

42

3

3

3

6

4

1973-74

Toronto Toros

WHA

78

37

55

92

31

12

2

12

14

4

1974-75

New England Whalers

WHA

73

35

39

74

50

6

2

5

7

14

1975-76

New England Whalers

WHA

35

12

21

33

6

1975-76

Edmonton Oilers

WHA

26

5

16

21

6

4

1

1

2

2

1976-77

Birmingham Bulls

WHA

3

1

0

1

0

1976-77

Barrie Flyers

OHA-Sr.

20

7

20

27

6

1977-78

Barrie Flyers

OHA-Sr.

35

21

23

44

27

NHL Totals

278

55

73

128

172

18

2

4

6

14

WHA Second All-Star Team (1974)
Played in NHL All-Star Game (1968)

Traded to Boston by Toronto for Jim Harrison, December 10, 1969. Claimed by California from Boston in Intra-League Draft, June 8, 1971. Selected by Ontario-Ottawa (WHA) in 1972 WHA General Player Draft, February 12, 1972. Transferred to Toronto (WHA) after Ottawa (WHA) franchise relocated, May, 1973. Traded to New England (WHA) by Toronto (WHA) for future considerations (Jim Dorey, December, 1974), September, 1974. Traded to Edmonton (WHA) by New England (WHA) for Mike Rogers and future considerations, January, 1976. Signed as a free agent by Birmingham (WHA), January, 1977.